Retaining Wall Solution Posed for Conte Project
 The School Building Committee is overseeing the final 'tweaks' before the $30 million Conte School project goes out to bid. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Designers for the Conte School renovation project have come up with a proposal to fix the problematic retaining wall on the southwest side of the property by using concrete blocks.
"By using these, we can leave the current retaining wall in place. That is huge," Margo Jones, the project's architect, told the School Building Committee on Monday night. "But it does require an easement for additional land because you have to fill in front of it."
The failing wall along two abutting properties was a major concern for school and city officials in terms of cost and safety. Estimates to remove and replace the 10-to-15-foot high stone wall was pegged at up anywhere from $400,000 to $750,000, and would probably not have qualified for reimbursement. The lower concrete wall on the south end may not have to be replaced.
Mel Overmoyer, of Strategic Building Solutions, the owner's project manager, said the initial cost is estimated at $300,000.
The new wall would be set in front of the old one and sloped back toward the building. It was not expected to affect parking for the properties but would require an easement. Mayor Richard Alcombright said he had informed the abuttor the city would be seeking an easement and will be meeting with her this week to provide her with more information.
The change should give some financial flexibility to committee, which is looking at a prioritized list of items that could be cut to keep the project's budget on track.
The committee in July targeted a number items — including light systems, air conditioning and flooring — as the project entered the 30 percent estimate stage. Now, entering the 90 percent stage, Overmoyer said the committee will have to make a ranked list of several hundred-thousand dollars of items before going out to bid, because once bid, the rankings can't be changed.
By Massachusetts law, bids can contain additions or deductions — the committee chose to go with deductions. All the items would be bid with the package, and then eliminated based on final costs.
"The thing you would least like to take out is the last item and the thing you would be most willing to take out is the first item," he said.
The list presented to the committee, however, was slightly different than that voted on in July. For example, it included turf grass for the playgrounds and the concrete wall promised to the Historical Commission.
Dorrie Brooks of Margo Jones Architects said changes had been made because some of the items ended up being "inconsequential" and that this was a different set of alternatives specifically for bidding.
Committee member Nancy Ziter, also the district's business manager, objected to the differences in the list, pointing out that the committee had not discussed some of them, and one was a definite commitment. "Are there other things we may have wanted on there instead?"
At the request of several committee members, Alcombright asked that the alternatives be reviewed and provided with the cost estimates so members could look them over before the next meeting in two weeks.
"If the bids are good we don't have to worry about any of this," said Overmoyer, adding that construction bids are still coming in low. "If the bids come in lower this won't be an issue, but you have to be prepared.
"This is a safety valve, nothing more nothing less."
 A solution to the deteriorating retaining wall has been proposed. |
The committee also reviewed minor tweaks to the design, including moving the IT room to a larger space under the gym that will allow the "cubbies" to moved inside the Grade 1 classrooms; the use of wall-mounted basketball hoops instead of the high-maintenance retractable ones; the use of linoleum for much of the ground floor; and LED lighting throughout the building and on the exterior.
Several committee members asked if the West East Main Street entrance could have the pole lights there be closer in appearance to the period lighting downtown. "It is a historic neighborhood," said committee member Keith Bona. Alcombright wondered if the more modern lighting could be black so at least to be transitional in the front.
Jones said the choice of modern lighting was specific, but she would look at some options.
"We wanted to take the approach this was a new building, with a new look and not try to recreate the old," she said. One example was the modern pendants selected for the new and old entrances that have historic character.
But while bid packages are being readied for the beginning of January, the state's Architectural Access Board has still not signed off on a number of items, such as the height of handrails. Jones was going to speak with a board representative on Tuesday, but there was concern that the bidding process could be delayed if it doesn't meet until January.
"We really can't afford to delay these bids any longer it's going to screw up our construction schedule," said Overmoyer, adding an addendum could be done. "If we can get some pretty positive feedback from the Architectural Access Board, that's the best we can go."
Bids are scheduled to go out Jan. 6.
The next meeting will be Nov. 18 at Conte; after that, the school will be closed and meetings will be held in Council Chambers at City Hall.
Tags: Conte School, school building committee, school project,
